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Post by Valerie Aldridge on Aug 18, 2014 22:07:50 GMT -5
Today had definitely turned out to be a much more eventful day that Val would have ever expected, especially through the very nature of it. She was used to handling drama and crisis out of Leslie. The younger girl definitely had a flair for making scenes, and she had admittedly been a little extra spoiled by her father, which probably hadn't helped her case. However, the closest she'd ever come to having to handle a difficult situation with Mackenzie had been when her eldest daughter had confessed her attraction being to girls, not boys, and the only reason it'd appeared to be a bit difficult was because of how hard it'd been for Kenzie to speak up about it, which had made her feel very tense all through the long moment she'd taken to find the right words. Now that her daughter was actually back home though, she knew she had to go ahead and give Felicia a call, because the last thing she wanted was for her friend to keep on worrying. Picking up her cell phone from the coffee table as she returned to the living room and selecting the other girl from her contacts, sighing a bit as she took a seat down on the couch and waited for her to pick up.
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Post by Felicia Travers on Aug 19, 2014 17:39:38 GMT -5
Felicia's day hadn't exactly been what she'd wanted or expected it to be. Having just gotten back from Florida the day before and not having work, she and Nate were both just planning on catching up on some errands and relaxing. They'd gotten the errands done and when they came back found that their house guest had completely changed. Having left with her best friend's daughter still around and having returned to find her gone and Alyssa's boyfriend in her place and though she'd tried to call Mackenzie she hadn't picked up. So, it'd left her with the remarkably fun task of calling Valerie and letting her know that she had no clue where her daughter was when she was supposed to be under her charge for the month. To say that it was stressful and worrisome was a bit of an understatement. Valerie had promised to call back when Mackenzie got home - as it'd been discovered that she'd bought a plane ticket - but it'd been hours now and she couldn't deny that she was still somewhat worried about where Mackenzie was. Pausing the television when her phone started to ring, seeing that it was Valerie and breathing a sigh of relief. "Hey, is she home?"
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Post by Valerie Aldridge on Aug 19, 2014 21:16:19 GMT -5
Peeking over in the hallway where Will and Mackenzie were still standing, Val wondered briefly if she should moved to a next room over to make sure her conversation wasn't heard by the two of them. For one thing, she didn't want Kenzie to have to overhear any comments that may respond to Alyssa's general mood throughout the day after she'd found her best friend had left the house, and for another... well, she wasn't one to blab about her children's confessions, but she knew Felicia would wonder what in the world had happened exactly, and she didn't think she could not tell her. Obviously, she'd make sure the information didn't get passed on to the other girl's daughter, but she just felt like it may bring better understanding, and possibly even help Felicia out in pacifying Alyssa, even without a full explanation. Giving a light smile as her friend picked up the phone and hearing the relief in her voice. "She is, she got back a few minutes ago," she reassured the other girl. "Ugh, what a crazy day," she added with a light sigh, leaning back against the couch slightly. Honestly, she couldn't remember the last time she'd had such an emotionally charged day - and that was taking in consideration the fact that Leslie's teen years, although only just starting, were forming to be pretty rocky.
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Post by Felicia Travers on Aug 20, 2014 13:44:39 GMT -5
Though both Felicia and Nate had figured that Mackenzie would get home safely and knew that she was a responsible person, it hadn't made it any better to feel like they'd lost the girl when she was under their care. Sighing slightly as Valerie said that she had just gotten back a few minutes ago and giving a nod toward Nate, who was seated next to her, to answer the unspoken question. "You're telling me," she replied when Valerie talked about it being a crazy day. "First day back from vacation and I lose your daughter, have to meet my daughter's boyfriend for the first time, and then have to put up with an upset teen for the rest of the day. I'm telling you, I love the girl, honestly I do, but she's going to drive me crazy if the two of them don't make up soon. I think the last time I saw her this upset was the year she and Mackenzie caught the flu and were too sick to go to Disney." Which had been several years ago now and had resulted in probably the worst headache of her life because not only did she have two sick ten year olds on her hands, but a very angry daughter in general.
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Post by Valerie Aldridge on Aug 20, 2014 19:05:15 GMT -5
On one hand, Valerie's mother heart was definitely hurting over her own daughter's emotional pain, there was no doubt there - however, she could still honestly say that she didn't envy Felicia right now. She was well aware that Alyssa had a pretty intense temper, and she had no doubt that it was still full force right now. Giving a light smile as she listened to the other girl enumerate the events of the day, shaking her head a bit. "Oh, I remember that year," she said with a slight roll of her eyes. "Mackenzie called me every night to tell me how she was doing, and I could hear Alyssa going on about what they could be doing right that moment if they were at Disney like they should have been," she added with a sigh, rubbing at her temples lightly and looking over in the hallway area to see Mackenzie making her way up the stairs. "But I know what you mean," she went on with a light frown. "I don't... actually even remember the last time I saw Kenzie cry," she sighed, her throat feeling a bit tight as she shook her head to herself. "I will definitely tell her she needs to call Alyssa, and I don't think she'll even need to be told, to apologize," she assured Felicia. "Probably not tonight, though."
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Post by Felicia Travers on Aug 20, 2014 22:27:51 GMT -5
Where her daughter got her temper, Felicia had no clue, but she was glad that she was rarely on the other end of it and she felt terrible for Mackenzie if the girl even had to hear half of the angry ranting that she, Nate and Declan had been subjected to today. Nodding as Valerie recalled her own memories about the Disneyless year, but a frown forming as she heard that Kenzie had cried when she got home. Not that she thought the girl was happy upon leaving, but not having imagined her to cry. "That's just as well," she answered, as Val said that she'd get Kenzie to call but that it probably wouldn't be tonight. "I think Declan has just managed to get her off the subject. Not that I think I want to know how, but oh well." She was aware that her daughter had a sex life, but being aware and knowing any sort of extra detail were two very different things. "She was really that upset though? What's even going on? Alyssa doesn't even get it, according to her they just got into a fight. I mean, I know they never fight, but still."
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Post by Valerie Aldridge on Aug 21, 2014 9:35:42 GMT -5
Hearing what Felicia had to say about why it was a good thing Kenzie wouldn't be calling tonight, Val had to keep herself from sighing. She wasn't entirely sure yet just how to process the whole of the situation, or even the information of her daughter being in love, but she couldn't help but feel bad for her. Of course, she couldn't blame Alyssa for it at all - the other girl had a life of her own, and she was a much more outgoing person than her daughter was, not to mention very pretty, so it made sense that she would come across many dating opportunities through the years. Mackenzie, however, had never had to witness it in person, and although her way of reacting to it wasn't really something Valerie could condone, she could understand to a point. "I'm fairly confident even the fight had nothing to do with her leaving, in hindsight, if not that it may have caused certain... realizations," she spoke in a light mumble, giving a sigh. "And you are, by the way, forbidden to share any of this with your daughter, because it's something they have to handle on their own," she added in a slightly firmer voice, waiting for her friend's assurance to keep quiet before going on. "Mackenzie is in love with Alyssa."
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Post by Felicia Travers on Aug 21, 2014 19:14:05 GMT -5
What had actually happened was something that had been bothering Felicia for most of the day. Not that she doubted her daughter was telling the truth, but it was all usually very one sided. Frowning a little more as she heard the comment that Valerie made a comment about the fight causing realizations and sighing as she told her that she was forbidden to share anything with her daughter because the girls had to handle it on their own. Which, admittedly, just made her all the more curious as to what she was going to tell her. "Okay, okay, I promise I won't tell her. But I'm telling Nate," she warned her. After all, she couldn't actually keep anything from her husband and he'd been worried about Mackenzie as well and she knew that Nate wouldn't blab to Alyssa either if she told him not to. "Shut up," she replied when she said that Mackenzie was in love with Alyssa, lightly hitting Nate's leg as she looked over at her husband and shook her head as she tried to wrap her head around the idea. "Wow. Okay. Actually, no, it all makes sense now."
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Post by Valerie Aldridge on Aug 21, 2014 21:22:37 GMT -5
Val didn't mean to blab about her daughter's feelings, but she'd never quite gotten over the habit of sharing things with her best friends. Not that she shared everything anymore, but at the same time, she could understand why Felicia would want to understand better what was going on. After all, she'd gotten affected by this whole situation too, and until the two girls got to talk and make up - hopefully very, very soon - she would probably keep on getting the worst of it. Sooner or later, Kenzie would get a hold of her feelings, whether or not that meant getting over them - which was, to be honest, what Val was hoping for. She loved Alyssa, but the other girl was already in a relationship, and she didn't want her daughter to keep pining over someone who wasn't available. Alyssa's temper and anger, however, wouldn't lessen until she was good and ready for it to do so. Unable to keep herself from smiling a bit as she heard Felicia's initial reaction, giving a slight nod though when she heard her go on to say it all made sense now. "I know, doesn't it?" she agreed. "I mean... I don't think I would ever have thought of it or figured it out on my own, but after she said it, I thought back on so many things and wondered how I didn't see it sooner," she added.
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Post by Felicia Travers on Aug 22, 2014 11:26:16 GMT -5
After the initial shock wore off, Felicia could definitely understand now what had happened. It all made a lot more sense with that vital piece of information, because the fight wasn't even what had caused Mackenzie to leave - which had seemed very out of character for her to start with and that's why they were all so confused. No, it was Declan's arrival that had been the problem and having just witnessed the teenagers together for a few hours, she could see why Kenzie wouldn't want to witness that. Even in her anger, she'd felt a need to be closer to Declan and share contact. "No, I get what you're saying," she nodded, feeling the same way as Val explained about seeing it after she'd been told. "And it explains the bag. I mean, Kenzie isn't always the most reasonable spender at Disney, but still. She got Alyssa a Dooney and Bourke bag and still left it for her after the fight had happened." Which, honestly, the amount of people who had a tendency to spoil her daughter in life was a tad ridiculous - not that she or Nate really helped that but still. "I just wonder what she's going to tell her when she calls. Alyssa probably won't take just an apology without explanation."
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Post by Valerie Aldridge on Aug 22, 2014 14:39:38 GMT -5
Valerie couldn't help but roll her eyes a bit when she heard Felicia mention how Kenzie had gone ahead and gotten Alyssa a Dooney and Bourke bag while the two girls were at Disney - her daughter definitely took after her father when it came to that it would appear. She was excessively responsible with her savings, to the point where neither she or Will had any worries about her having her own credit card, with two exceptions - she did tend to treat herself a bit more at Disney, as Felicia had mentioned, but Alyssa was always the other reason when they came across a slightly more excessive charge on her statement. "She's gonna be just like Will for that aspect in relationships, it would seem," she said with a light smile. Wincing slightly for her daughter's sake as Felicia added that Alyssa probably wouldn't take an apology without getting an explanation. "Well, let us hope she does in the end, because I don't foresee Mackenzie confessing her love to her best friend while she's already in love with someone else herself," she spoke with a slight frown. "And I'd like to think that my saying I can understand why she wouldn't want to isn't just because I'm her mother."
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Post by Felicia Travers on Aug 23, 2014 17:14:50 GMT -5
Felicia noticed Nate getting up as she was talking and heading out of the living room, probably because she was refusing to tell him anything on the phone and one sided conversations weren't always the best to help that along. But with her husband gone she simply focused more on the conversation at hand. Smiling a little as Val commented that Kenzie was apparently going to take after her father in these terms. "Difference being that at least if they were together it would work," she teased back, as Val had never really taken that much for the gift giving ways. She sighed a little as Val went on to add that she didn't foresee Mackenzie telling her the truth and that she didn't think it was a good idea either. "No, you're right. I think it would be a bad idea too. I get it, I just don't know how well it's going to go otherwise. Part of her anger is about how she doesn't understand how Kenzie could do this to her. I think without an explanation, she's going to have a hard time forgiving her. At least, right away. I don't think that she can stay that mad at her forever. It is Kenzie, after all."
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Post by Valerie Aldridge on Aug 24, 2014 12:27:00 GMT -5
Valerie could only hope, at this point, that Felicia was right in saying that she didn't think Alyssa could stay mad at Mackenzie forever. She figured the other girl had a point, too - their daughters had always been pretty inseparable. She remembered times, when Kenzie was still small, where she would come over and sit on her lap as soon as she noticed she was on a Skype call with her Aunt Felicia, just so ask if Alyssa was around so she could talk to her, and nights when she had to tell her daughter off - which was so unusual that she could practically remember every single time and reason she'd had to do it for - because she was staying up on the phone much too late to talk to her best friend. She'd spent a month of summer over there ever since the age of six, and Felicia and Nate had been coming to spend a week right after Christmas time since before the two had even been born. It made no sense for their friendship to break over one fight, regardless of her daughter's irrational reaction. "I really, really hope you're right on that one," she said with a small smile and a sigh. "I have a hard time believing that one bump on the road would be enough to put an end to a friendship that's been lasting since the day they were born."
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Post by Felicia Travers on Aug 25, 2014 11:36:03 GMT -5
Felicia meant what she said, she couldn't foresee this dragging out any longer than maybe a couple of days past Mackenzie not telling Alyssa why she'd left. The two girls were best friends and they had been for years, despite living in different states and time zones, they kept in better contact than Alyssa kept with either her or Nate when she was at school. Their friendship was as constant in the lives of their families as it was in their own. One fight wasn't going to change all of that, she was confident. Nodding as she heard Valerie agree with the sentiment. "I do too. They'll work it out. Alyssa has never not had Mackenzie be her best friend, I don't think she's stubborn enough to mess that us," she added, running a hand through her hair. Or at least, she really hoped that she wasn't. Oh well, there was nothing they could do but wait, at this point, to see what happened the next day. "Anyway, I guess we'll see what happens tomorrow. Until then though, how have things been around there? Anything new and crazy that I haven't heard about?"
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Post by Valerie Aldridge on Aug 25, 2014 11:55:09 GMT -5
To Val, Kenzie's friendship with Alyssa had defined a part of their life - any big attachment any of her kids had to anything had always made a difference in the way they handled things. William's artistic skills had made Will see his second born child, and first son, would definitely not be the one to take over the company, in spite of his namesake. Leslie was a ball of fire, she affected everything she touched and made herself noticeable wherever she went. Chace was a bit harder to crack at times - even at twelve, Val felt like he was already trying to find and define himself, although in her mind he was still a kid. Well, almost a teenager, and definitely more mature than Leslie, but nonetheless, she already tell there were things he struggled most with already that her other kids hadn't really become concerned with until much later. Kenzie had two defining factors - her ambition and seriousness, and Alyssa. And as it was, it was Alyssa that made her break out of her usual routine - Alyssa that always made her a bit more unreasonable, a bit less serious. The idea of that element being gone from her daughter's life made her a bit worried as to how well she would react to it, and adapt. "I guess we will," she agreed with a light smile, giving a light snort as Felicia asked what else had been going on around there. "Well, Leslie practically begged to go back to school shopping with her friends, and of course Will gave in, but what do you know, she came home with no clothes and a new iPod," she said with a roll of her eyes. "So now I have to take her back to return it tomorrow, and she's not going shopping without me or Mackenzie to reel her in until she's twenty one."
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